58 The Basics

I only glanced at the task as I was more shocked by what I was seeing.

I was surrounded by what I assume are other players and their avatars. The area we were in appeared to be an abandoned-looking island that had a huge airstrip with a bunch of crates and bunkers around.

I put out my hand and clench it before throwing a combination of kicks and punches. Feeling confident I perform a backflip and look down at my feet excitedly.

I shout excitedly "Holy Shit I'm in a game!"

"Shut the fuck up!" Shouted an unfamiliar voice

"Who said that!?" I shouted while looking around to see if the perpetrator would come out

In return, the reply I got was people joining and blasting their music.

I try blocking my ears before remembering I'm wearing a headset. While I was looking for a way to mute the people in the lobby I get tapped on the shoulder.

I turn around and see Sophie's avatar with her alias TheRealStep-Mom above it "Your in-game chat idiot. To go into party chat just have your middle finger touch your palm twice. Just your middle finger nothing else"

"Does it matta what hand I use?" I ask

"No, it doesn't. To go back to game chat do the same thing again" Said, Sophie

Hearing a feminine voice in the lobby most of the guys in the vicinity begin their search.

"GIRl!?"

"Gamer Gurl!!"

"A girl who also games?!!"

"A lady of great standing. Please make way gentleman"

I heard multiple cheesy pickup lines before finally joining the party chat.

I ask "Is Mary here?"

"Yeah, I watched a walkthrough for the game. I only know the basics" Said, Mary

"Can you explain what's going on?" I asked

"We are. . " As Sophie was explaining Mary rudely interrupted and explained for her ". . just waiting on more players to join then the game will begin"

Feeling the girls tyrannical aura again, I quickly try to keep the conversation moving "What other gestures are there and dose recoil match real-life guns?"

"To pause you can either use a voice command and just say 'Pause' or you bring your thumb to your palm. By the way, you can change the gesture's in the settings. If you point at something a marker will appear for all of us not just for you but make sure it's just your index finger don't want you getting cancel over a Nazi salute. To make the map bigger just bring your index finger to your palm repeat to minimise" Said Mary

While I test out all the gestures Sophie began to explain "The recoil is vastly different from real-life weapons. For starters, it's not as impactful and much like other FPS games, each gun has its own recoil pattern. There's also the bullet drop that's dependent on the gun. By the way, don't overthink it with the snipers you only need to figure out the bullet drop and that's about it"

"No, the difficulty in the game is the number of players you face. Moving from one area to another leaves you with no cover. Player movement is less predictable and chaotic compared to trained soldiers as they know that it's a game and are able take risks. Depending on the armour you pick you can even eat sniper bullet to your dome. The difficulty doesn't come from marksmanship but the players behaviour" Said Sophie like the veteran player she is.

"So like is there some sort of ranking I can check to see my improvement," I asked

"Yeah, it's Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond, Elite, Master and Grandmaster. Currently, the highest rank player in America since the release is Elite" Said Sophie

'Hmm, it seems fairly simple. I'm gonna need to play passively to make sure I win and even maybe use Mary and Sophie as bait. Okay, let's see huh? Skills unavailable during V.R please acquire games skill. Shit, this means I can't use Veterans Awareness and the Aim Assist skill. Wait, this is a good chance to use my new senses. Okay accept task'

"Ooo a countdown is it starting!?" I said excitedly while watching a yellow countdown.

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\\\\CHAT\\\\

[Lil-CAAN!!]: LETS G0❗❗

[OneShotBro]: HYPE

[Blues-Got_No-Clue]: POG

[BlindingFuture]: He like a child and I fucking love it????

[EnterShityNameHere]: ????????

[DryHumour]: ????????????

[SugerBaby??]: @BlindingFuture So you fuck kids huh? Let's talk about that ????

—_—_—_—_—_—_—_—_—_—_—_

"Theo please try to maintain some dignity" Said Mary

"Yeah, and don't shout," said Sophie

The moment the counter hit 0 a feeling of adrenaline and excitement shoots through my body.

"Huh, umm am I supposed to be looking at a green plane?" I ask

Sophie explains "Remember when I said we get dropped on the map, well this is it. I've already set a marker on the map. You probably haven't noticed it yet but the floor below you has now risen when we drop the anti-gravity will kick in and we'll be floating aimlessly. Your gonna feel a hard cold wind when we drop so be ready. When I say jump, do it then follow after me, Okay?"

"Wait, this thing has anti-gravity? It didn't say that on the site?" I said clearly confused by the new feature

"It's a surprises gimmick. Don't worry about hurting your self. The area below will turn into a squishy solid that will absorb the impact and negate any damage" Said Sophie

"Okay," I say while opening the map to check where exactly she saying for us to drop.

As I stare at the map I begin to contemplate methods that might increase my survival rate before asking "What's the most popular place to drop?"

"School, why?" Said Sophie

I quickly switch to in-game chat and shout "Everyone drop school!"

"Alright, drop school pussy's"

"Fuck off prick I drop where I want!"

"Drop School bitch then tell me to me fuck off"

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\\\\CHAT\\\\

[Yes Man]: Oh shit cluster fuck at school????????

[xXQuickScope22Xx]: Its gonna be a short game ????

[SettleWithMe]: LMAO ????????

[QuiteNoise]: Well dad is about to die real quick☠

[GIve-A-Dolloar]: @Yes Man not the first time you've said that huh ????

[OtakuFPS]: Your confidence will be your downfall ????

—_—_—_—_—_—_—_—_—_—_—_

I was barely paying attention to what Chat had to say as I was intently listening to the verbal abuse between strangers.

Hearing an argument suddenly occur out of nothing didn't surprise me or scare me, in fact, I felt a wave of nostalgia hit me.

If you've played an online game then you understand that it's the pure nonsense of game chat that made things twice as fun as shitting on people.

'This is gonna be so much fun'

"Sophie can we drop the Rozhok instead. We'll gear up and then push school" I said casually while marking farm on the map.

"Apartments is much better for that and just so you know there will be other people doing the same" Said Sophie

"Of course but it won't be as chaotic as School. So run me through how I gear up and is there any button press mechanism/gestures that help with shooting and so on" I ask

Sophie once again informed Mary and I "When we drop, you want to keep your vision near the ground and rely on your hearing for footsteps and other sounds This only for when you don't have any weapons or armour after that you want to try to regroup or take out any players nearby. To pick up any gear just pick it up and it should auto equip unless its an attachment which will go into your inventory. Armour comes in the form of helmets and a bulletproof vest. Armour has 3 levels, level 1 being the weakest and level 3 being the highest. To access your inventory just reach for one of the backpack straps. If you want to switch to a specific weapon on your person then you need to reach for it yourself. Just treat like a real-life if you have any questions just ask. Okay, looks like we're here"

I watch as a cluster of players drop out of the plane and make their way towards School.

"Ready set, JUMP!!" Yelled Sophie

I lightly jump and feel the ground disappear as a strong wind emerges and begins pushing against my body.

I was left temporally deaf as the cold, harsh winds pass by my ears and run through my hair.

After a brief moment of adrenaline, I fix my eyes on Mary and Sophies figure and follow them to one of the apartment buildings.

As we dive closer and closer I hear Sophie's voice "Look down at your chest and pull the cord that's the parachute"

Upon pulling the cord we begin to slowly fall onto one of the apartment buildings.

"2, dropping on the building next to uors and another 2 on the one next to it, they might be a squad"

We quickly land on the roof and scurry around looking for loot before going inside, and searching for more loot.

I manage to find a level 2 helmet, level 1 vest, bandages, a medkit, a grenade, a flash, 2 smokes and a sickle. My primary gun at the moment is a UMP with a red dot and extended mag. My secondary was a Kar98k with a 6× scope.

"Hey Chat how good is the Kar98K," I ask seemingly feeling a lot of distrust for such an out of date weapon.

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xXQuickScope22Xx]: Noob luck maxed out ????

[QuiteNoise]: Wtf type of luck is this

[OtakuFPS]: change your sickle for a pistol maybe and get an assault rifle instead UMP, most fights are long distance

—_—_—_—_—_—_—_—_—_—_—_

"I need a vest and a sight" Said Sophie

"I hear someone close! He's outside the front door! There's two of them!!" Said Mary in a panic

I quickly run down the stairs with Sophie to try to help Mary. As we make our way down multiple shots could be heard.

Sophie took the lead and was at last flight of stairs but she was immediately met with an assortment of shots straight to the chest. We back up and hear Mary's quiet plea for help "Why am I on all fours!? And why can't I get up!?"

A notification popped up in front of vision saying "I'mThatStep-Mom is down"

"Does that mean, she's dead?" I ask

"No, they are probably using her as bait. So let's just pick them off when they come up the stairs, sadly well have to let Mary die" Said, Sophie sarcastically

Mary responded lightly "Next time Theo I'll just hire someone who's actually good at the game so that maybe we can live longer than a minute"

"Oh sorry I didn't know you want me to hold your hand through the whole game forgive me for thinking you were smart enough and old enough to know when to retreat" Said Sophie mockingly

I ignore their little catfight and begin to think 'From what I know the game does have a 1 tap headshot mechanic. The gunshot came from the room on the left so I assume she's in there. If the first (Ground) floor anything like the rest of the floors then the layout should be somewhat similar but even so how do I get to the room. Throwing a random flash down the stairs is a waste without any information'

"Mary, how many are in the room your in and where are you?" I ask

"Four, one on either side of the hallway door and two watching the back door. I'm backed up against the back wall on the left when you enter the hallway door. I'm also under a window" Said Mary

'Windows! I forgot about windows'

"Sophie can I enter the room through the windows and what's the fall damages like, and do I make noise when falling," I asked hastily

"Yeah but you'll take damage if you don't break the window, you lose HP at about three floors for fall damage not really sure how much never really don't it myself it's too scary. Also, the noise you make when dropping from hight is up to how you land. I've heard a rumour that a parkour roll dismiss damage and noise" Said Sophie

"Great, do me a favour and shoot when I say so," I say while moving into the room above Mary and the players that got her.

I then look for a viable window to jump out of. After finding a window I say "shoot"

Using the butt of the UMP I break the window, whilst doing so I silently pray that Sophie's shooting would muffle the glass breaking.

I put the UMP away and dive through the now broken window. I roll mid-air so that I'm falling feet first instead of my face.

As soon as my feet touch the ground and my knees bend slightly, I lean forwards and roll over my shoulder.

I had jumped out the back facing windows so I should now be outside the window Mary is under but then I found a problem.

There are three windows for the side of the building that Mary says she's in. Luckily I was still crouched so they haven't seen me.

Not wanting to waste any time I say "Mary quickly switch to game chat and just start singing or something"

Mary started singing "Cause if you like it, then you shoulda put a ring on it

If you like it, then you shoulda put a ring on it

Don't be mad once you see that he want it

If you like it, then you shoulda put a ring on it

Whoa, oh, oh, oh"

Using her voice I located the window she was under and pulled out my grenade before letting it cook.

'1,2,3'

I stood up and see two dudes on either side of the hallway door before hurling the grenade. It broke through the glass and landed just between them.

*Tink tonk BOOM*

Not wasting any time I dive through the window. I double-check for Mary and see that she's exactly where she said she was. I throw smoke on the left and the right making the room completely smoked.

I see a revive option on her body and ask "Sophie how do you revive?"

"Put a bullet in her head," Said Sophie half-seriously

"Just tell me?" I said not amused by her joke

"Put your hands over on the floating hand's sign," Said Sophie

I put my hands on the floating hand signs and close my eyes.

As I close my eyes I begin to rebuild the image of the room in my head. My heart began to beat at a rapid pace that I've already become familiar with.

*ba-dum, ba-dum, ba-dum. . . . .BA-DUM*

With every thump was an equally powerful feeling that coursed through my body. It was illusionary power that I've yet to fully understand but one thing for sure it's something to do with the Beast Exercise.

My ears felt like they were burning as I hear every little scuffle from the two down players attempting to crawl to freedom while two sets of quite footsteps were making thier way up to the door on the left.

I hear the door open and cancel the revive before pulling out the flashbang. Using only the mental map of the room in my head I throw it through the smoke and then proceed to the other side where I see to blinded player prone on the floor.

I pull out the sickle and chop their heads which resulted in a disappointing generic blood gushing but no decapitation.

Along the right-hand side of my vision, the kill feed was filled with my name and the 4 names of the people I killed.

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\\\\CHAT\\\\

[OneShotBro]: Didn't even shoot one bullet ????

[S.P_Fan2056]: PP hard

[BlindingFuture]: First game, solo team wipe!!????

[SugerBaby??]: Daddy is a GOD!! ????????

[DryHumour]: GOAT????????

[Umm Yeah, NO!]: HOLY SHITE

[TheNewGuy]: Perfect blind flashbang throw ????

[FightPressure]: POG ????

—_—_—_—_—_—_—_—_—_—_—_

'That's four kills, 6 more and a win to complete the task'

"What the fuck? how did you win the fight?" Asked Sophie before coming in and looting the guys I killed

"I'm still down can you pick me up," Said, Mary in announce

"Oh sorry I'm coming, Sophie stop looting the guys I killed let me search first," I said

"Fine," Said Sophie as stood back and helped with reviving

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